Mickey Z.

The regular visitors to Mickey Z.'s website have ordained themselves "The Expendables." Mickey asked them to write a collective bio and here is the result:

Mickey Z.'s voice is the roundhouse kick of activist literature...profoundly mistrustful of government in all its dreadful guises, while courageously supporting all of us who stand against it. Determined to live the words, rather than simply to speak them, Mickey Z. doesn't get more readers, he just makes more friends. His blog is like a front stoop where we all gather to talk over the news, what's happening with each other, and generally enjoy each other's company. The gentle concern for his fellow humans and the behind-the-scenes acts of kindness are surpassed only by the cuteness of his dimples.

Radicals, feminists, environmentalists. Activists for animal rights, human rights, civil rights. There are plenty of rebels and dissidents putting their asses on the line. Conversely, there's never been a shortage of reactionaries seeking to repress such vision and passion.

Learning how to fight and/or defend yourself is not the same as promoting belligerent, anti-social behavior. While talk of non-violence is understandable and the struggle for peace has never been more essential, let's face it: The odds are that sooner or later you're going to end up in a confrontation that may escalate into physical violence. So, why not be prepared?

Self-Defense for Radicals will get you off and running in the right direction. From eye gouges to groin punches--you'll find a powerful collection of tactics with which we can fight back. Interspersed with words of wisdom and guidance from Emma Goldman, Bruce Lee, Angela Davis, and even Patrick Swayze, this pocket-sized pamphlet will inspire readers to not only speak truth to power but also deliver a sharp elbow to power's jutting jaw.

Presented in the street-smart style we've come to expect from Mickey Z., Self-Defense for Radicals dares you to re-examine what we perceive as acceptable behavior--both by the oppressors and the revolutionaries.

Reviews:

"This small book packs a powerful punch. It will help you prepare emotionally and physically to fight back. Read it, read it again, and then practice. As Mickey Z. says, 'The life you save may be your own'." --Derrick Jensen

"Mickey Z. shows you how to use your head. Literally! An invaluable guide for those moments when violence must be countered by force."--pattrice jones, author of Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World

"In this violent culture, Self-Defense for Radicals belongs on every coffee table and in the glove compartment of every car driven by a man or a woman."--Rosemarie Jackowski, peace activist, advocacy journalist, Vermont Attorney General candidate '06 and '08

Writer, martial artist and activist Mickey Z. still has that wonderful sense of humor. You could certainly qualify knowing this as good news for the rest of us. It’s not new information to anyone familiar with his books. His 2008 dark-comedy endeavor CPR for Dummies was a brutal, wild story and one of the best social satires to come out in recent memory. It was bleak stuff but proved Z’s talent for story-driven farce. It also showed his effortless skill at putting some of his more enduring interests, martial arts and social activism to good use in his Armageddon-battered-world-gone-mad. Those interests aren’t likely to leave his work anytime soon either. That’s fine. As long as he can utilize those passions and keep the humor running strong, as he does in his pamphlet, Self-Defense for Radicals: A-Z Guide for Subversive Struggle, then none of us has any reason to complain.

While it’s true that most conflict can and should be resolved with nonviolence, even peace-loving radicals like Mickey Z., the author of this alphabetical guide to self-defense, acknowledge that an absolute aversion to violence is nearly impossible in our war-loving (yet God-fearing) society that seems to tolerate blood-n-guts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The prospect of setting words to page about Mickey Z.’s Self-Defense for Radicals catalyzed a certain queasiness. It brought up the rosebush reality of…violence.

In an era of drop-of-the-hat planetary destruction, as dirty wars erupt like acne and respect for Gandhi’s ahimsa has re-blossomed like Persephone’s return, as former Weather Underground activist Mark Rudd is crisscrossing the U.S. calling for a pacifist movement and Hugo Chavez is pronouncing that armed struggle is passé—to purvey violence seems patently verboten.

The goal is non-violence. But if you have to fight, author Mickey Z. thinks you might as well be prepared. Discover his tactics in Self-Defense for Radicals.

A little over two weeks ago, when Obama matter-of-factly announced he was sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, many hearts fell - not just because an eight-year war doesn’t show any signs of stopping, but because the President’s decision somehow seemed contradictory to his message of positive change. It’s fitting, then, that Astoria’s own beloved government cynic, author and activist Mickey Z., has a new, stimulating read, Self Defense for Radicals: A-Z Guide for Subversive Struggle, set to debut tomorrow from PM Press.

Mickey Z.’s Self-Defense for Radicals is more than a metaphor for resisting the oppression of governments and corporations. It’s literally a manual for helping you defend yourself when attacked by a mugger, political adversary, bully or anyone intending to commit physical violence against you.

Normally, when I read a new book I like to get the essential message or theme of it quickly, so I can decide whether I will continue reading it very carefully or just make it a quick read. For Mickey Z.’s new book SELF DEFENSE FOR RADICALS: A to Z Guide for Subversive Struggle, I had to wait for page 7.